Date: Dec 12-Jan 13
2012 WineMaker Wine Label Contest Winners
FREEWinners from the 2012 WineMaker amateur label contest.
Late Malolactic, Wine Kit Ingredients, and Color Questions
MEMBERS ONLYYour Zinfandel probably had a good reason (in the wine’s opinion, anyway) why it didn’t go through ML fermentation.
Vineyard Q&A (2012 Edition)
MEMBERS ONLYWes Hagen answers your home vineyard questions.
Reducing Use of Winemaking Sulfites
MEMBERS ONLYInexperienced amateur winemakers are often misled thinking that making red wine is easier — or at least more foolproof — than making white wine because reds are better protected by polyphenols from the effects of oxidation. The result: Tired, orangey (and even brown) colored, lifeless reds. Making great red wine is indeed more challenging as
Table Wine Kits
MEMBERS ONLYThis article we’ll be discussing immediate and intermediate strategies for making table wines that can be consumed very young while still delivering the full and delightful wine experience. Strategy one: go cheap — but not too cheap Value-priced wine kits, which are usually smaller-sized (two to three US-gallons/7.5-11-L in the box), are inexpensive because they
Going Pro RoundTable
FREEHow do you break into the wine industry? Do you volunteer to help out at a local vineyard for a vintage? Do you go to winemaking school? Do you start out as
Top 100 Wine Kits 2012
MEMBERS ONLYOver 50 experienced judges evaluated a total of 2,552 wine kit entries as part of the 2012 WineMaker International Amateur Wine Competition. This large collection of kit entries was sent into the competition from across North America originating from 8 Canadian provinces and all 50 American states. The 2,552 wine kit entries were entered in
How Wine Kits are Made
FREEUnless you work in the industry, you’ll likely never have seen the inside of a wine kit manufacturer’s facility. For liability reasons, they don’t give tours to civilians. There’s something about running
Wine Blending Partners
MEMBERS ONLYBlending accomplishes several goals in winemaking. It can be done to improve flavor, mouthfeel, cover a defect, balance the chemical profile, adjust the alcohol content, emulate a commercial wine you enjoy or simply for product consistency. Blending is both a science and an art. The correct blend to adjust the alcohol content of a wine
Late Malolactic
MEMBERS ONLYTo shed light on your query, the Wine Wiz consulted the Winemaking Magic 8 Ball™ and the answer that floated to the top was, “Outlook not good.” If your 2010 Zinfandel still hasn’t gone through ML fermentation (where malic acid is consumed by lactic acid bacteria, turning it into lactic acid, softening the wine and
Meadmaking: Tips from the Pros
MEMBERS ONLYMeadmaking — like winemaking — has been around for thousands of years. And if you make wine you can also make mead using much of the same equipment. In this issue, two master meadmakers share some insight for making your own mead at home. Michael Fairbrother, Founder and Meadmaker of Moonlight Meadery in Londonderry, New
Your First Mead
FREETips for brewing your firs batch of mead.
Strawberry Wine Color Question
MEMBERS ONLYCertainly feel free to experiment with food coloring in your strawberry wine but be sure to keep it food-grade and keep it modest to maintain the color within the realm of believability. Food coloring is pretty concentrated so a little dab should do it. You might want to ask yourself why your wine turned orange
Winemaking From Frozen Must
FREEIt seems a short time ago when, if you wanted to make wine, you waited for the fall harvest season when grapes would start arriving from the West Coast. Everyone would be
Metatartaric Acid In Wine Kit
MEMBERS ONLYYour question about metatartaric acid is a good one and one that brings to mind similar confusion and questions many of us have when faced with a litany of fining agents (and specific directions about how and when to use them). It sometimes seems like we can wing it, skip or combine steps or eliminate
Pinot Noir
FREEWhile traveling recently in the Burgundy region of France, it was easy to see why the world loves Pinot Noir. It is the only red grape grown in that region, and the
Canadian Clubs: Dry Finish
FREEIf winemaking appeals to you and you live in Ontario, the Amateur Winemakers of Ontario (AWO) may be just what you’re looking for. AWO is the umbrella organization of 33 independent